You may have missed this article when CMI published it last year. We share it now because misconceptions about editorial calendars and content marketing strategies are still common. Marketers often talk about how they have a strategy...then go on to Job Function Email Database say they're set because they have an editorial calendar. Job Function Email Database At the risk of sounding delusional, I would like to shout from the rooftops: An editorial calendar is not a content marketing strategy! An editorial calendar is not a content marketing strategy, denounces Michele Linn. Click to tweet while this conflict may seem like semantics, the mesh of these terms points to a bigger issue. You need to have both a strategy and an editorial plan or calendar. And you need to understand how they differ, because the Job Function Email Database lack of one may explain why you're experiencing uncertainty in your content marketing efforts. Do you need an architectural design for your new home? Absolutely. It is the Job Function Email Database vision of what you want to achieve. You help your architect understand your needs (you're why) - your strategy. Where do you want to move to? How big is your house? Do you want the room to grow or something more compact? How much do you want to spend? Here are some of the questions you need to answer before the architect creates a plan for your home. In short, just like when you build a house, you can't have an effective building plan without an architectural strategy, and you can't execute your strategy without your plan. (And, if you're designing a home with your spouse, you both need to Job Function Email Database be on the same page — just like your team needs to Job Function Email Database be on the same page with your strategy.) But few of their strategies have a content mission, a deep understanding of their personas, and content-related goals. If you don't have these things, something is wrong. And, while your strategy usually comes from the leadership team, don't make excuses if you don't have one.